The invention relates to an apparatus for loading and unloading film cassettes and particularly X-ray film cassettes.
The German Offenlegungsschrift No. 26 07 876 discloses an apparatus provided with a compartment for receiving a cassette, transport means for introducing and discharging the cassette, means for light-tight closing of the cassette, means for removing a respective film sheet from the cassette and for transferring the film sheet to a transport roller pair, and means for loading a new film sheet into the cassette. According to this reference, the cassette is moved in the compartment to a stop member and then is pushed transversely to the movement against a second lateral stop member by a shifting device. Consequently the cassette is fixed with an edge thereof as reference point. Then, the cassette is opened, and the film contained therein is removed by a suction device. A new film sheet is then provided from a storage magazine and inserted into the cassette. After locking the cover, the cassette is discharged from the compartment.
The insertion of the film sheets into the cassette is provided by an endless conveyor belt which can be pivoted from a resting position into a working position and supplies the sheet into the cassette, wherein the sheet drops from a channel onto the belt. Such a construction is complicated and prone to disturbances and, moreover, it is to be noted that the position of the sheet on the conveyor belt is not controlled.